Open Doors: Sunday's studio tours and artists' talks are the heart of city-wide festival

Updated October 11, 2013 at 11:37 AM;Posted October 11, 2013 at 10:50 AM

Market Street Convergence is part of the 12th Annual Open Doors Studio Tour in Newark

An element of "Flame Tempered" by Phoenix Lindsey-Hall is on view at the Market Street Convergence show at 85 Market St. Lindsey-Hall is a resident artist at Gallery Aferro, one of the stops on Sunday's studio tour.
(John Munson/The Star-Ledger)

Spend a minute with artist Phoenix Lindsey-Hall and it's clear why Sunday's open studio tour is the highlight of this weekend's Open Doors arts festival.

Lindsey-Hall's mini-solo show (now handing in the pop-up gallery at 85 Market St.) is dominated by "Flame Tempered," a hanging installation featuring 75 ceramic baseball bats suspended in a circular pattern that is as once beautiful and intimidating.

As the artist explains her process, her choices, her intent, the works of Slugger take on a new layer of intensity. All of the pieces work together to explore hate crimes against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people by focusing on the instruments of the attacks — a baseball bat, a hammer.

"The bats look like bones, that's why they're not glazed," Lindsey-Hall said Thursday night at the exhibition's opening reception. She removes the ceramics before they are fully set so she can manipulate them into shapes. "It represents the body and an act of violence."

Lindsey-Hall will be in her third-floor studio at Gallery Aferro Sunday afternoon, when shuttle buses and walking tour maps will help visitors navigate dozens of studios and galleries. Visitors will have the chance to investigate how these artists work, to see pieces in progress and to listen to them explain their visions. In some cases, the work in the studio can be compared to pieces hanging in galleries that are part of the Open Doors event.

Sunday's tour also features a several curated and juried exhibitions highlighting artists from Newark and surrounding areas. And it showcases available artists' space, encouraging others to join the vibrant community

Now in its 12th season, the Open Doors festival features more galleries and studios than ever. Shuttles will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and many spaces will features music, food or both. For a complete list of the studios, shuttle routes and schedules and four walking tours of the festival, visit the Newark Arts Council's website or 85 Market Street, the officials HQ of the event.